The Bonds Brothers Share
by Mercenary Mouse
Summary: How strong is the bond between Tk and Matt? Strong enough to cheat death? As always R&R!


Darkness Sometime Wins ****

The Bond Brothers Share

By: Rose

Author's note- This story is a sad one everybody, so please don't hate me Yama-lovers! You must read the whole thing! It's really pretty good!

Part 1: Darkness Sometime Wins

A young figure with golden-blond hair and deep, sea-blue eyes sat with his eyes to wards the reconfiguring forest, and his back to a beautiful lake.

Puppetmon was now dead and Matt still hadn't re-joined the group. 

"I still can't go back!" Matt Ishida thought, "I can still here Tai and Izzy's nagging, 'What's your problem' or 'If you think about this logically…' Also, I can't bear to see Tk looking at me like I betrayed him. Oh well, I was just a tag a-long any ways, just the big over-protective brother. They don't need me. It's not like we're going to win."

Walking beside him was his digimon Gabumon. He too was thinking about their friends. He would stand beside Matt no matter what, but he knew that the only way that they would defeat the Dark Masters was to forgive all the hurts and reunite.

"Matt, where are we going to go now?"

"Huh? Oh well let's camp here tonight then, um, head to Primary Village?"

"Sure, that sounds cool."

"I know you're searching for something, I just wish you wouldn't bury you're feelings." Gabumon thought to himself letting out a sigh.

"Hmm I wonder what he's thinking right now? What am I thinking? Mom would kill me if she knew I left Tk with Tai! But I have to do this, or my Mom might not live to know that." Matt thought.

****

~

Three hours later Gabumon and Matt lay back to back near an almost dead fire. Dinner had been a simple meal of fish, which Gabumon had caught, and water from the lake. Now Matt lay playing the same old soothing blues on his harmonica.

Once Matt thought that Gabumon was asleep he put his harmonica away and started to think about the week's events in his mind. 

"Ha! I can't believe I through a punch a Tai! I know it was wrong but I've wanted to do it for awhile. Then that thing with Kari, whew! I still can't believe Tk's in the care of Tai! He better take care of him! 

"You miss him and you know it!" shouted a little voice inside his head.

"Oh shut up!" he thought back, "Oh lor'! I'm conversing with myself!"

Gabumon lay on the other side of Matt not even close to sleep, but was also thinking about the previous week. 

"I wonder who would have won if Wargreymon and I continued to fight? It's hard to say I guess. Man I miss Agumon! What I wouldn't give to be sitting by a campfire with him and the others! Maybe Gennia will send them to come get us for some reason."

Since both human and digimon where both deep in thought, they never noticed the now thick fog rolling over the lake.

****

~

The wood had suddenly gone quite, like not a single digi-soul was around. The lake that had at one time during the day looked welcoming and serene, was now eerie and forbidding.

A joker-like figured hovered silently on the other side of the lake. He watched the boy and his digimon, he had been watching ever so closely, he could almost here their breathing. But soon, the boy's breathing wouldn't be so deep, so calm. They would be short and thin.

Soon, the fog, his imperious fog, would immobilize the digimon, and knock the digidestined out cold. Being Piedmon had its advantages.

"My plan will be in full swing by the time that fool Gennia figures this one out! The boy will be gone, and Gabumon will be mine to do with as I see fit. And then with the boy gone, they can't win!" Piedmon hissed into the night's cold wind.

****

~

Matt rolled over and looked at the fog on the lake. Even with it's eerie look, Matt thought it would be cool to be covered in the fog. He was just about to reach out and touch when…

"Matt stop!" Gabumon shouted.

"What?" asked Matt taking his hand away from the fog, "Isn't this fog cool?"

"No! It's Piedmon! And that's no ordinary fog! It's one of Piedmon's most powerful attack! But there's no time to explain, we have to get a way from here! Fast!" 

Matt was already on his feet and running towards the woods, "Let's go Gabumon! Hurry up!" he shouted back.

Digidestined and digimon took flight into the now stable forest. While running Gabumon panted what the fog would do if they came into contact with it. Because Matt was so busy listening and running, he never noticed his harmonica falling out of his pocket.

"If you, you come into contact, contact with it, you don't stand, stand a chance. At, at least that's the way it, it is with us. We, we go evil, we become, an, an evil slave." Gabumon panted.

"I-can't-run-much-longer!" Matt stumbled over the words then tripped over an up-rooted branch.

"Matt! No get up!"

Gabumon was suddenly knocked over. As he fell he let out a scream of help. The imperious fog was among them.

****

~

The group lay in the darkness of the night under the forest trees. Izzy stood watch while the others slept. Tai lay curled up next to Agumon, Kari lay holding Gotomon tight, and Tk slept right next to Sora and their digimon.

WHAM! It hit him like a lightning bolt. Tk shot from his "bed," cold sweat pouring from his little forehead.

He ran over to where Tai was sleeping and shook him until he woke up.

"Tai, Sora! Wake up! Wake up!" Tk screamed.

"Huh? Wha? Go back to bed Tk."

"Tai!" Sora said shooting Tai a look as if to say 'Some leader you are!' 

"Did you have a nightmare Tk? Are you ok?" she asked tentatively. 

"It wasn't a nightmare! I heard it! It was real!" Tk started to sob.

"What's going on here?" It was Izzy coming over from his watch.

Kari had been roused from her sleep early, but at this moment came over to the rest of the group. "Sora, it's Matt. Tk, I heard it too." she whispered.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Tai, now fully awake.

"I, well Kari and I heard Gabumon screaming. It was full of agony and fear." Tk sobbed into Sora's shirt.

There was silence for a few moments then, "Piedmon's got them. We heard Gabumon's plea." Gotomon said, speaking for herself and Patamon.

"What! This is so-not prodigious!" Izzy shouted taking out his computer, "Let's see if Gennai can help."

Tai and Sora ran over to Izzy's side and began to help him e-mail Gennia. Tk and Kari sat, arms around each other, the scream replaying in their minds.

Tk got up and wiped his tears. He looked around, then whispered to Kari, "Kari, I think we're the ones, or I am any ways, the ones who are going to beat Piedmon and save, well at least I hope we can save, Matt."

"Tk, I thought that to, it's like one of those sixth sense thing-a-mu-bobs."

"So are we going to go look for them?" Patamon whispered excitedly.

"Yes, we have no choice. All they're going to do is fiddle with Izzy's computer. Well I'm going to do something productive and actually find my brother!" Tk whispered.

"Let's go then," said Kari.

And so, without a warning the two kids and their digimon slipped off into the night, not leaving a trace as to where they were headed.

****

~

In the middle of a clearing in the woods, lying at the foot of a giant oak was a very crumbled figure. And at the moment it was unconscious. Hovering over the body was Piedmon laughing hysterically.

"They can't win without him! Ha ha! He's mine! He's dead!" he laughed.

"He won't give up. He'll fight, just like me!" panted a battered voice.

"Ha! Gabumon! Should have known I guess. Why don't you just give up? You said it yourself, you can't win!"

"Never!" Gabumon shouted stumbling forward, "Gabumon! Warp digivovle to…Metalgarurumon!"

"Any last words before you lose your freedom Metalgarurumon?" Piedmon laughed.

"Shut-up and fight! **ICE WOLF CLAW**!"

"**IMPERIOUS FOG**!"

"Matt! NOOO!"

"Ha ha ha ha! You're mine now! 

"Now stand here and watch him, if he speaks to you, and is fully awake, kill him. After this is done return to me." Piedmon laughed once more then vanished into the woods.

****

~

"Where could they have gone? It's just not like Kari to walk off like that!" sobbed Tai, tears streaming down his face, "Matt will never forgive me if anything happens to Tk! I'm a dead man!"

The three remaining digidesined sat around an early morning campfire trying to figure out where Kari and Tk had disappeared to. Well, at least Tai and Sora were, Izzy was busy with his laptop. 

"Sorry to interrupt your pity party Tai, but we have E-mail from Gennai, I think it's another prophecy!" said Izzy typing furiously.

"Tell us what it says!" pushed Sora.

"Okay, here goes… It is said that the one to proceed on conquering both worlds will be destroyed by the angels of earth, and the one that leaves us, shall never return to the light, for nothing can bring back the lost. But he will be in the hands of loved ones. Sighed Gennai."

"That's it? Hmm, angels of earth, the lost one? I'm the one who's lost!" pondered Sora.

"Did-o!" said Izzy.

"I'm a dead man!" Tai repeated shaking his head.

****

~

Kari, Gotomon, Tk, and Patamon had been traveling all night, and still they pressed on. They where now on the shore of the lake closest to where Puppetmon's mansion used to be.

"Kari, can we stop for awhile? My paws hurt." Gotomon pleaded.

Kari looked at Tk, then nodded towards the edge of the forest.

As they walked Kari tripped over a tree root, and scraped her knee up a bit.

"Kari are you alright?" Tk asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Can you help me up though?"

Tk helped Kari up and guided her over to a huge ash tree. They sat down and Gotomon and Patamon offered to go fishing for some breakfast.

"Kari," Tk asked in a quivering voice, "Do you think we'll be able to reach Matt on time to… save him?"

About to give her reply a sharp scream ripped through the air. Kari covered her ears, as did Tk, and started to rock back and forth wanting the scream to stop.

"We're too late!" Tk sobbed.

"Don't give up Tk!" Kari soothed.

****

~

Flying over the digital forest, Garudamon kept a vigil watch out for the three missing digidestined and made sure the three in her hand where still safe. 

Sora, the emotional one of the group tested her parental skills to the max trying to comfort the distraught Taichi. She was glad she was Sora's partner.

"Sora, have you sited anything?"

"Huh? No Garudamon, keep looking."

****

~

The crumbled figure still lay unmoving, but not unconscious in the clearing. Confused and dazed, the young Yamato Ishida looked around him and took in some of his surroundings. 

He was lying beneath a giant oak tree, there was a small river off to the right, his crest, as he now noticed, was midnight black for some reason, and a pair of misty red eyes glared at him from out of the darkness.

"Gabumon? Is that you?" Matt called into the utter darkness.

A huge metal wolf stepped out of the shadows and uttered something, though Matt couldn't understand because he drifted back into innocuousness. 

****

~

Patamon and Gotomon had returned to Kari's and Tk's side to find them distraught. After calming both children down, they set back off on their journey.

Both of their digimon scouted a little further ahead, looking for tracks or any sign that Matt had been there.

"Kari quick! Come here! I found something!" Gotomon suddenly shouted back.

"What is it?" Kari shouted back as she and Tk came running.

"It's his harmonica. I'm so sorry Tk." whispered the cat passing the harmonica to Tk. Tk dropped to his knees in disbelief.

Tk's eyes started to water but he wiped them and stood up, his crest glowing strong. Hope, that's what he had. Hope that Matt was alive, hope that he was still his big brother, and hope that Matt would fight like he had always fought for him. 

****

~

"Garudamon! Circle back! I think I saw them!" shouted Sora, her hand still on Tai's trembling shoulders.

"Izzy have you any trace of their dig-vices?" Tentamon asked.

"Huh, oh sorry I've been trying to figure out that prophecy Gennai sent."

"That's okay Izzy!" sorry said excitedly, "'Cause there they are!!!"

"Huh? Hold on Kari! Here we come!" Tai bellowed over the wind.

****

~

"Tk! Look it's the others!" squealed Patamon.

"Kari?"

"Yeah Tk, I was thinking the same thing. We got to do this ourselves. If they help they'll just get in the way.

"Sorry Tai! I promise I'll be alright!" Kari shouted to Tai.

"I'll take care of her!" Tk also yelled.

Gotomon and Patamon also yelled the vow of protection, but to both Kari and Tk.

"Kari, Tk! Get back here!" Tai screamed. Garudamon landed and he jumped off. About to run after his sister, Izzy put a hand on Tai's shoulder, preventing him from going any further.

"Tai, let them go. It's what was meant to happen. Kari and Tk are the angels from the prophecy. They'll defeat Piedmon, but Matt, well…"

Agumon who had been quite quiet through the whole ordeal chose this moment to speak up, "I think that you all have a choice to make here. Either to stand and here and wait for Matt to get killed, or to go after Kari and Tk and protect the three of them. I'm sorry Izzy, but I can't let any of them get hurt. I know it's not my job but if they do… Well I really don't have much of a choice."

"Are you saying you'd go against one of the ancient prophecies?" questioned Yokomon. (Garudamon had de-digivloved.)

"Tai, Agumon, please! You have to understand!"

"Understand! Understand! Izzy you could never understand. You're an only child with no real family! You don't know how much an older brother or sister can have for a younger sibling! And no stupid computer is going to stop me from protecting her!" Tai was sobbing uncontrollably now, "and I have a promise to keep. I told Matt I'd protect Tk no matter what!"

"Take it back!" growled Izzy, giving Tentomon his computer.

"Take what back? You can't take back the truth!" Tai shot back.

"GUYS! STOP IT!" Sora shouted. 

"Stay out of it!" they both shouted.

"Tai if you love Kari so much why didn't you protect her back home? Why did you leave her in the care of Matt?"

"Because I had to save my parents and it was safer for her to be in hiding! Where were you hey? Sitting some where with your stupid computer?"

"Actually I was at home setting up a barrier to protect my parents!"

"What parents? You don't have any parents! Their dead!"

Sora gasped at this remark.

That was the last straw for Izzy he through himself atop Tai, and the fight was on.

"That's for saying I have no real family! That's for my parents! And that's for me!" Izzy shouted with a flying fist.

"STOP IT!" Sora shouted.

"We said stay out of it!"

"I refuse to stand here and watch you fight!"

"Then leave and don't come back!"

"Tai! Arghh!"

****

~

This time Matt lay at the foot of the oak tree wide-awake and scared. Also alone, so very alone. Like he was stuck in his mind, with no one to talk to. He lay there trembling, wanting to get up. But something, or someone evil was still around.

Metalgarurmopn lay silent. Piedmon's work. As much as he fought he could not control himself. If only he could de-digivlove! But because he was lying there, not using any energy, he could never. So Matt's fate was out of his hands.

"Metalgarurmon?" Matt whispered.

"Matt! No! Please don't speak! Go back to sleep!" Metalgarurumon's mind shouted because he couldn't make his lips form the words.

"Are you there? I'm too weak to move!"

"No Matt!"

"Yes I'm here, hold on!" Metalgarurumon's mouth moved on Piedmon's command answering the boy's plea.

"Your time here is…Matt! No! I'm sorry!" Metalgarurumon was aloud to make his final plea before his body slay the one he loved so much.

****

~

Kari and Tk walked in silence through the ever-thickening woods, and then the scream came for the last time. But this time it was Matt.

"No! No! No! No! No!" It started as a whisper, but then Tk just shouted like a wounded wolf. He started running as fast as he could towards the center of the woods. Tears flowed like a rushing river from his eyes. Kari and their digimon followed their friend.

As they entered a small clearing with a giant oak at the center, Kari stopped Tk with a hand placed firmly on his shoulder. "Let's do this together."

Tk nodded his thanks to Kari.

The two kids walked silently over to the giant oak. Both kids lost all innocence at the moment their young eyes set sight upon the still body of Yamato Matt Ishida.

Tk stood stunned, the tears just wouldn't come. Kari put her head on his shoulder and wept. They embraced each other for a moment, Tk still not comprehending the situation. He gave the bewildered Kari a kiss on her forehead like his mother had always done to comfort him then asked her to take the digimon to get some leaves to make a make-shift grave for Matt. 

After they had set off into the forest Tk knelt beside his brother's limp form. He leaned over and gave him his final hug knowing he would not pass this way again. He whispered in Matt's ear, "I love you Matt. I'll never forget what you did for me, always protecting me. Never leave my heart though, 'cause I still need you big brother…"

Tk lay there holding his brother; never wanting to let go, but still no tears would come.

Kari and their digimon showed up shortly after but they were no longer alone. Mimi, Joe, Gomamon and Palmon where with them. All seven carried leaves for Matt's grave.

After the grave was made Mimi walked up to Tk and gave him a hug. 

"Your brother holds a great part of my heart Tk. So I truly know how you feel… I'm sorry"

With that Tk took out Matt's harmonica and placed it in Matt's hands. 

"Let's go back to the others…"

****

~

Three exhausted figures sat by the lake panting, their digimon at their sides.

"I'm sorry Izzy, Sora. I never should have said those things. I was just upset about Kari." Tai whispered pathetically.

"I'm sorry too, you know, for throwing those punches."

"All's forgiven."

"Alright! We're friends again!" cheered Yokomon.

"Finally!" exasperated Tentomon.

"Hey guys! Look! It's Tk and Kari! Mimi and Joe are with them!" cried Izzy.

The three kids ran to meet the others. When Kari, who had been holding on to Mimi sobbing, saw Tai she threw her self on him and wouldn't let go.

"Tai! It's so terrible…" Kari cried into her brother's shirt.

"What's wrong Kari? What happened?"

Sora was looking for Tk. He trailed slightly behind the others. His head was held high, the look of vengeance, hatred, grief, filled his eyes. The sparkle, the innocence that Sora had loved so much was gone. Sora stood shocked. She couldn't believe she was looking at the little boy who had once said that she was like a second mother to him. She ran to him and embraced him. The tears finally flowed.

"Sora let him cry! Jut let him cry…" Mimi said, crying herself.

"Joe…What happened? Please tell us." Izzy asked.

"Matt's, Matt's… Well he's…" Joe was all choked up and just couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Matt's what?" Tai pressed.

"DEAD!" Kari sobbed into Tai's shirt. 

"Oh Tk! I'm so sorry!" Sora whispered.

"Show us?" asked Tai with the look of shock yet sadness in his eyes.

Tk looked up shaking his head no. He pushed Sora away from him and mumbled, "I know how to take care of myself Sora, leave me alone!"

Sora again looked shocked. Why was he acting this way? She was just trying to comfort him. Maybe he was just not ready to let anyone care for him like Matt had.

The group sat on the banks of the lake with one question running through their minds: Would they still be able to win?

****

~

Piedmon sat on his thrown atop Spiral Mt. "They can't win now! I beat the Digidestined! Ha!"

Then a sudden knock came at the doors. Piedmon stood up looking up aggravated.

"What!"

The door slowly creaked open and Metalgarurumon stumbled in.

"Speak!"

"Please," The metal wolf whimpered, "I've already shed the boys blood. What more do you want?"

"Fine, you may leave. But only because you have to live with the guilt of condemning the digital world, earth, and killing your own Digidestined human!" Piedmon laughed wickedly.

The metal wolf whimpered again and left the castle not knowing what would become of him.

Part 2: The Guardian 

The seven children walked silently through a thick tract of underbrush. You wouldn't say that TK looked his age anymore. His usual sparkle replaced with a dull, far off look. He really didn't think about much besides Kari's safety and Matt anymore. He had only been gone for four days, yet it felt like an eternity.

The once young spirited Kari never left TK's side any more. They had become completely inseprible. Everything she had ever thought about him had totally deserted her. She now saw him in his brother's likeness, caring, quiet, a true friend. But he seemed to have no hope.

Mimi never complained anymore. She always trailed slightly behind the others thinking of Matt. The way he had been so nice to her, not calling her ditcey or anything. She wished he was still alive, she wished she could talk to him one more time. 

Tai tried to convince himself that he was better off without Matt, that now no one would condridict his leadership. But the truth was, he missed Matt like a brother.

"Why Matt? Why did you have to be the one to die?" he cried one night while sitting alone.

Her crest was love but she never felt any towards him. "Was this so wrong?" Sora wondered.

Joe could only think of the way Matt had helped him in Veggiemon's diner. "I don't think I ever thanked him enough…" he thought sadly.

Izzy did not mourn Matt's death because he knew the truth, he had figured out the prophecy, and TK would to soon enough.

****

~

Weeks Later…

Joe an Mimi had gone off again and the children had entered Machinedramon's domain, and Kari, Kari had fallen ill.

****

~

He said he would protect her and protect her he would. TK sat at the window watching for trouble.

Kari lay asleep in a bed with Sora standing over her dabbing her head with a cold, wet, wash cloth.

All of a sudden Tk was hit with an immense desire to sleep. He colapsed on his chair and was plunged into a dream of some sort.

****

~

He was in a room, the walls all patterned with the crest of friendship.

"Where am I? Let me out! NO!" he yelled spinning around looking at all the crests of friendships pasted on the walls, feeling the pain of losing his brother all over again. He crashed to the floor and wept. 

He soon felt to strong arms picking him up and hold him close. He didn't even try pulling back, but let himself be held by the stranger.

Once he could cry no more TK gave a loud sniff and a familiar pair of brown gloves whiping away the remaining tears from eyes. TK looked up startled.

"Shh… I'm here." Matt smiled.

"Oh Matt! I thought you I'd never see you again!" Tk cried, throwing his arms around Matt.

Matt pried his little brother off him and sat him down beside him. He looked adoringly into TK's little eyes and began his story…

****

~

"After Piedmon killed me through Metalgarurumon I found my self in a garden with the most beautiful flowers and lake of glass. And you know who I met there? Grandma and Grandpa Ishida! Yep, that's right! They explained my position to me, you know, being dead and all. 

"Then Grandma said I had a decision to make. To stay with them in heaven, or to go and look after you. So here I am TK, your guardian angle."

TK sat looking at Matt (his sparkle back,) "Oh Matt! I knew you'd never leave. I knew it!" he said giving him a hug. Then he broke into giggles and asked unexpectedly, "Can I see your wings?"

Matt pulled off his shirt showing off his muscular chest and two great, silver wings ripped from his back.

"Now TK, danger is approaching the house. Get Kari and Sora out of there! Hurry. And TK," he added tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry I ever left you back in the digi-world."

"It's okay Matt. I love you big brother."

****

~

TK opened his eyes abrubtly and jumped from his chair. "Sora, pick up Kari. Quick! We're in danger. We have to get out of this house!"

****

~

Matt saw Tai and Izzy approaching. He sat with his chin on his knees smiling down on the all too familiar group. He knew they were not out of danger, but unfortinetly, there was nothing he could do for them. But he would watch over TK. He looked at his bare chest and saw the crest of friendship glowing strongly over his heart.

"Be careful TK, and watch over Kari, for you don't yet know how important she really is to you. I promise to protect you though, because we're brothers, and the bond we share will always allow me to do that."


End file.
